Croquet on the beach. Not.

Our tented beachside lodge, unlike the safari tented lodge, has no walls. There are curtains that are tied back all round three sides. This is a teensy bit disconcerting, especially as we weren't given a whistle on our key ring...


We dozed off to the sound of the surf (sounded like it was coming in the tent, but it was miles) and thoughts of those two people who were kidnapped by Somali pirates in a Kenyan tented lodge not a million miles away...


In fact, the sound of the surf drowned out all the squeaks and squawks and the odd footsteps all around, so we slept well. There were security men all over the place anyway.


Woke at dawn and walked out on to the beach. There are strange volcanic rocks, which have been eaten away by the sea, and form islands and caves and holes. The rock on the beach is flat, but shoes are necessary. I bought a pair of plastic shoes for this use. I now have a sore foot where it's been rubbing. Add a bit of sand for a more sandpaper effect, and yes - can't use them now, as we didn't bring a plaster. Huge piles of pills and creams and sprays and potions. But no plasters.


Talking of things medical, strangely - nay, alarmingly - the malaria pills are finished. All gone. There are no more. I think they must have been pinched by room staff at some point, as the toilet bags were never locked away when we were out all day. Fingers crossed, then, that no mosquito gets us in the time left. Or indeed, the time we've been here, as they're only effective if you take the whole course. Must check the symptoms of malaria with Dr Google. JR's antihistamine pills are missing too.

I had a quick dip in the pool after breakfast when it was deserted, though I wasn't game to climb down the jetty steps in the afternoon when the tide was in.

I then went to meet up with some folk for a game of croquet on the beach, as arranged last night. But I had no sun cream on, so only stayed a while to take some photos. I did have a very good covering, though - two towels. One on my head and one round my shoulders. Not a pretty sight. Being a peely-wally Scot, I'm just not built for hot sun!

I'm not sure that we'll make it to midnight tonight. Haven't made it for a good many years. Fingers crossed that the Edinburgh Hogmanay happens.

That's our hut on the right.